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When to Use Steam, Combination Steam & Regeneration
A simple guide to using Steam, Combination Steam and Regeneration settings with confidence.
If your new steam oven is installed and ready to go, this is usually the very next question: which setting should I use?
At Hart & Co, it’s one of the most common topics we cover in our after-purchase masterclasses. Once you understand the core steam oven functions, your appliance quickly becomes an everyday essential, not just something you use for special occasions.
This guide is designed to help you confidently use your steam oven, no matter the model or brand.
What Are Steam Oven Settings?
Steam ovens work by controlling the balance of heat and humidity, allowing you to achieve different cooking results, from delicate, moist fish to golden, crispy roasts.
Most combi steam ovens include three key functions:
Steam (100% Humidity)
Combination (Steam + Fan-forced)
Regeneration (Steam Reheat)
Understanding when to use each one is the key to getting the most out of your steam oven.
Steam Level Guide
If your recipe calls for a specific steam level, use this as a general guide across most appliances:
Low → approx. 25% humidity (Level 1)
Medium → approx. 50–60% humidity (Level 2)
High → approx. 80–100% humidity (Level 3)
As terminology and controls vary between brands, this is a helpful way to translate recipes and cook with confidence, no matter which steam oven you’re using.
If you’re unsure which setting to use, ask one simple question: do you want browning?
If yes, choose Combination. If not, Steam is your answer.
Steam (100% Humidity): Gentle, Moist Cooking
Steam mode (sometimes called Full Steam or Steam Only) is your go-to for moisture-based cooking. It typically operates at around 100°C with full humidity, creating a gentle cooking environment that keeps food soft, vibrant and full of flavour.
Best for:
Vegetables: Retain colour, nutrients and texture
Fish & seafood: Delicate, flaky and evenly cooked
Rice, grains & pasta: Consistent, no sticking
Eggs: Precise and reliable results
Custards & delicate desserts: Smooth, even texture
Pro Tips:
Use perforated trays for vegetables and fish, with a solid tray underneath to catch drips
Always check your appliance manual for tray recommendations
Start with everyday foods. Steam is perfect for weeknight staples like rice, pastas and greens!
Use Steam when you want moisture, softness and natural flavour — without browning.
Combination (Steam + Fan-forced): The Best of Both Worlds
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Combination mode blends steam with dry oven heat, giving you moist interiors with golden, crisp finishes.
This is where many customers feel they truly unlock the value of their steam oven, it enhances familiar recipes without needing to change the way you cook.
Best for:
Roasts: Juicy and flavourful meat with crispy skin, minimal moisture loss.
Bread: Fluffy and soft inside, burnished and crusty outside
Pastries: Perfectly risen, golden and flaky
Casseroles & lasagne: Moist layers with a golden top
Roasted vegetables:Tender inside, caramelised outside
Food Type | Recommended starting steam level | Approx. humidity band | Why this level |
Roasts (crispy skin, minimal moisture loss) | Low (Level 1) | 25–30% | Lower humidity supports browning/crisping while still improving juiciness vs dry heat. |
Bread (burnished crust, soft inside) | Medium (Level 2) (often higher steam early, then dry finish) | 50–60% | Bread commonly benefits from steam early, then finishing with reduced steam/drier heat for crust development. |
Pastries (golden, risen, flaky) | High (Level 3) (especially puff pastry; finish dry) | 80–100% | Puff pastry and laminated bakes frequently use high humidity early (80–95% shown in cookbooks) for lift, then drop humidity to crisp. |
Casseroles & lasagne (moist layers + golden top) | Medium (Level 2) (then Low/Off to brown) | 50–60% | Medium humidity is widely recommended for casseroles/gratins to prevent drying; many recipes finish drier for top browning. |
Roasted vegetables (caramelised outside, tender inside) | Low (Level 1) | 25–30% | Low humidity at higher heat helps vegetables brown while steam prevents the interior drying out; 30% is a common tested setting for browned roast vegetables. |
Pro Tips:
Use higher steam at the start of cooking, then reduce to finish with dry heat
If your oven has adjustable steam levels, experiment to find what works best
Don’t overthink it, this is your most versatile everyday setting
Regeneration (Steam Reheat): Better Than a Microwave
The Regeneration setting (also called Reheat or Steam Reheat) is designed to reheat food using steam and heat, restoring moisture, flavour and texture.
It’s one of the most-used features our customers love because it heats evenly and gently unlike a microwave, making food taste freshly cooked second time around, not dried out or rubbery.
Best for:
Leftovers: evenly reheated without drying out
Plated meals: reheat everything at once in 7–10 minutes
Roasts, pasta and rice dishes: restored texture and moisture
Bread, pastries and pizza: refreshed and revived
Pro Tips:
Use your oven’s dedicated reheat/regeneration program where available
Reheat food in portions rather than large pieces for best results
Look for “crispy reheat” functions if you want to restore crunch
Use Regeneration when you want leftovers to taste as good as the day they were cooked.
Steam vs Combination vs Regeneration: Quick Guide
Steam → gentle cooking, no browning
Combination → everyday cooking with texture and colour
Regeneration → reheating with moisture and control
Once you understand these three settings, cooking with steam becomes simple, intuitive and incredibly versatile.
Discover Steam Cooking with Confidence
At Hart & Co Appliances, we believe the best way to learn is to see, and taste, the difference.
If you’d like help getting the most from your steam oven, we invite you to join one of our complimentary After Purchase Masterclasses. Our team will guide you through each setting and show you how to apply it to your everyday cooking.
Visit us in Osborne Park, Perth, and book a demonstration at a time that suits you, because at Hart & Co, our approach is simple: Try it. Buy it. Master it.
